oranges

Oranges, extraordinary properties

oranges, portogalli, partualli, sitron. These are not different types of citrus fruit, but dialectal names with which the Sicilian, Ligurian and Emilian populations have identified oranges over time. Extraordinary properties (they are rich in vitamin C and ascorbic acid) and unique taste come together in a typically Mediterranean fruit, although its origin is Chinese.

Known in Italy since the Romans, the cultivation of oranges seems to have taken place initially in Sicily, with an import by land, and later in the rest of the peninsula, thanks to Portuguese merchant ships. Out of the ordinary properties have always been recognized to oranges. We find them to represent well-being in family paintings or Eden in frescoes of the Last Supper (by Ghirlandaio in Florence, for example). The Medici themselves, a powerful Tuscan Renaissance family, could have chosen them to symbolize trade with the East, an economic condition and for the particular assonance: orange was defined 'medical malady '.

The Belpaese is the fifth producer in the world, with 2,5 million tons per year and some IGP awards, first of all Sicilian oranges. Their caloric intake is very low (35-40 kcal per 100 g).